Air-excluding and automatic drainage device



'Aug. 15, 1933.

J. P JACOBSEN 1,922,048

AIR EXCLUDING AND AUTOMATIC DRAINAGE DEVICE Filed Aug. 18, 1931 2Sheets-Sheet l gmwntoz,

Jns Peter JEwoZsem,

Aug. 15, 1933, J. P. JACOBSEN AIR EXCLUDING AND AUTOMATIC DRAINAGEDEVICE v Filed Au 18 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 Patented Aug. 15, 1933AIR-EXCLUDING AND AUToMATIc DRAINAGE DEVICE Jens Peter Jacobson, Lyngby,Denmark, assignor to Standard Brands Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a.Corporation of Delaware Application August 18, 1931. Serial No. 557,859

16 Claims.

'My invention relates to a device which will serve normally to excludeair and its possibly associated impurities and moisture from entry to achamber where the presence of the same might be detrimental, and whichwill serve also, automatically, to permit the free escape from saidchamber of any substantial quantity of wa age which otherwise mightoccur in the event of accidents, such as breakage of some portions oithe apparatus.

A general object of my invention is to provide means for excluding theair with its possible accompanying contaminations (such as suspendedsolid particles and variable quantities of moisture) from the interiorof apparatus where the presence of dust or other solid particles andexcessive moisture might be detrimentaLwhile at U the same timeproviding means for automatically permitting free and immediate drainageof liquid from such apparatus in case of the presence or accumulation ofliquid in the apparatus.

one particular object and use of theinvention is in connection with theprotection of delicate parts, such for example as electrical devicesemployed in apparatus used for treating liquids, or suspensions of yeastor other solid substances in aqueous or other liquids, with ultra-violetrays from a mercury vapor quartz lamp, from damage which otherwise mightoccur from the action of liquid material in the event of breakage of thetransparent quartz or like frangible material separating the liquidunder treatment from such electrical devices, while at the same timenormally excluding atmospheric air with its possibly accompanying dustor other suspended particles and moisture from the apparatus.

The various objects and advantages of my in- .vention will in part beobvious and will in part be further set forth in connection with thefollowing particular description of a specific preferred embodiment ofthe invention as shown by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1' is a side view .of the exterior of the device; a

Figure 2 is a veftical sectional View of the device looking in the samedirection as in Figure l Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of thedevice at right angles to the view shown in Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the device;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure2; and

Figure 6 is a view partly insection and partly in side elevation ofportions of an apparatus adapted for irradiation of liquid materialsshowing the device constitutinga main feature of 'my invention incombination therewith.

In the drawings 1 represents a cylindrical casing or cylinder formed ofbrass or any other suitable or convenient material which may be providedat its upper end with screw threads 2 for attachment to the apparatus inconnection with which the device is to be used. The lower end of thecylinder 1 may be faced off smoothly as at 3 and provided with a closelyfitting closure plate 4 which may be formed of brass or other suitablematerial and which-isadapted to make substantially gas-tight andliquid-tight engagement with the lower end of the cylinder 1-.

The cylinder 1 is provided with a stud 5.projecting inwardlyfrom itswall and having a notch 6 on its upper side preferably locatedapproximately in the axis of the cylinder. A safety link '7 which in theparticular construction illustrated may be in the form of a blottingpaper disc provided with two eyelets 8 and 9 is positioned with itsupper eyelet engaging the-notch 6 of the stud 5, while engaging thelower eyelet 9 is a spring 10, the lower end of which spring in turnengages the pin 11 which may be screwthreaded as. shown at 12 and bythis means and by its head 13 exterior of the disc 4 may serve 95normally in cooperation with the spring 10 to retain the disc 4 firmlyin position against the lower end of the cylinder 1.

To prevent rotation of the disc 4 the latter may be provided with anupstanding stud or pin 10C 14 adapted to be positioned between two pins15 extending inwardly from the wall. of the cylinder 1 near its lowerend as shown in Figures 2,

3, 4 and 5. a

I To provide against possible misplacement of 105 the disc 4 when notclosing the cylinder 1, a chain 16 may be provided having its respectiveends attached to the cylinder 1 and to the disc 4 by any convenientmeans such as brackets 17 and 18.

Fig. 6 illustrates my invention as it comprises the combination of adevice such as I have already described and as is shown in Figures 1 to5 inclusive of the drawings together with certain portions of anapparatus adapted for irradiation of liquids and in this combination, asexemplified by the construction illustrated in Figure 6, the cylinder 1is attached by means of screw threads at its upper end to the bottom 19of the chamber 20 of an irradiating apparatus provided with an annularchamber 21 through which liquid or liquid mixtures such as aqueoussuspensions of yeast may be passed, the liquid being supplied to thechamber 21 by an inlet tube 22 and passing from the chamber 21 throughan outlet tube 23. The central portions of the side walls of the chamber21 .are provided with openings 24 and 25 in which openings a tube ofquartz 30 or other material (usually of a frangible nature) is mountedand within this tube a mercury vapor lamp 31 may be placed. In theoperation of an apparatusv comprising a combination of parts asexemplified by the construction shown in Figure 6, the liquid materialin the chamber 21 will normally be excluded from the chamber 20 byreason of the mercury vapor lamp and its surrounding tube and associatedparts making liquid-tight closure of the openings24 and 25. If by reasonof the breakage of the tubes or parts forming such closure liquid ispermitted to escape or flow from the chamber 21 into the chamber 20 suchliquid is prevented from accumulating in the chamber 20 and from causingpossible damages to electrical devices (diagrammatically shown) 26 and27, located in the chamber 20 and serving to assist in the control andproper operation of the mercury vapor lamp or like device, by reason ofthe fact that, through the operation of the device of my invention asdescribed in connection with Figures 1 to 5 inclusive of the drawings,the closuredisc 4 will be permitted (by the effect of moisture as by thefirst accumulation of liquid flowing from the chamber 20 into thetube 1) to fall from the tube 1 and afford a free and adequate drainageoutlet for the liquid leaking or flowing from the chamber 21 into thechamber 20.

In the use of the device constituting my invention in its particularpreferred and exemplary embodiment as hereinbefore described, theapparatus may be attached (as by means of the screw threads 2cooperating with a threaded opening) to the bottom of an otherwisenormally closed chamber or receptacle such as a casing within which maybe located a mercury vapor quartz lamp surrounded in part at least by anannular chamber through which yeast in aqueous suspension or other'liquid material may be passed for the purpose of irradiating the liquidand any associated suspended solids such as yeast which may be carriedby the liquid.

In apparatus of this general character the outer casing to which thedevice constituting my invention may be attached is intended normally tocontain no liquid, but serves primarily as a retaining casing for themercury vapor quartz lamp or like device and associated electricaldevices used in efiecting irradiation of the liquid. However, accidentalcracking or breakage of certain interior portions of the apparatus maypermit escape of liquid material from the irradiating chamber, to whichit is normally confined in the proper operation of the apparatus, andsuch escaping liquid may, if its immediate and. adedevice is attached.

quate drainage is not fully. provided 101% enter said casing and comeinto contact with various electrical devices therein associated with themercury vapor quartz lamp and the like and cause damage to such devices.7

Prior to my invention it has been recognized that such damage to therelatively expensive lamp and electrical connections and magnets, etc.,might ensue from the action of liquid escaping from its normal path offlow through apparatus of the general character mentioned in case of thebreakage of the quartz protecting tube casing enclosing the mercuryvapor quartz lamp and for this purpose the casing or lamp chamberenclosing the interior portions of apparatus of'this general characterhave heretofore been provided with drainage holes for permitting escapeof liquid from such casing. Such mere provision of drainage holeshowever necessarily involves one or the other of two distinctdisadvantages (a) if these drainage holes are sufliciently small toeffect proper exclusion of atmospheric air with its possibly associateddust and other suspended particles and moisture under all situations inwhich the apparatus may be used, the holes may not be sufficiently largeto permit liquid outflow with adequate rapidity to afford properdrainage when they are required to function for this purpose, and (b) ifthe drainage holes are sufilciently large to permit free and adequateoutflow of liquid escaping into the casing as by accidental breakage orcracking of its associated parts then sufficient atmosphericair withassociated moisture and dust particles, etc. will be likely to enter theapparatus to produce detrimental effects as by accumulating on quartzsurfaces within the apparatus which by reason of their high temperaturein operation may be damaged by absorption of dust particles, etc. fromthe atmospheric air if the latter is permitted to freely enter thecasing.

In the operation of my device for the particular exemplary purposedescribed, both of the disadvantages incidental to the mere provision ofthe open drainage outlets are avoided as will be apparent from thedetailed description of the operation of my device as illustrated in itspreferred embodiment and as used for such exemplary purpose. In such usethe disc 4 will-normally be held in position as shown in the drawings soas to afford a substantially air-tight and liquidtight closure for thelower or outlet end of the cylinder 1, the disc 4 being normallyretained in this position by the action of the spring 10 which in thisposition will normally be under at least some slight and appropriatetension and by the cooperation with this spring of the associated parts7, 5, 12 and 13 as will be obvious from Figure 3 and other figures ofthe drawings, serving, when so held, toexclude atmospheric pendedimpurities from the casing to which the When, however, by reason ofcracking or breakage of the liquid retaining parts, such as the interiorlamp-enclosing quartz tube of an apparatus as specifically mentioned,liquid is permitted to flow into the casing to which the device madeaccording to my invention is attached, such liquid flowing by gravityinto the tube 1 and coming. in contact with the disc 7 will, by reasonof the fact that this disc is formed of blotting paper or other suitablematerial quickly deprived of its tensile strength. by the absorption ofmoisture, destroy the tensile strength of the disc immediately to such adegree that the disc 7 will be broken in two, such action being assistedby the tension of the spring 10 on the disc. The breakage of the disc '7will deprive the closure plate or disc 4 of its means of support againstthe lower end of the casing 1 'so that the disc or plate 4 willimmediately fall free from the cylinder 1 carrying with it the spring 11and will leave the cylinder 1 free to act as a drainage outlet forliquid from the chamber to which it is attached. The size of thedrainage tube 1 will, of course, be proportioned to provide suchdrainage capacity as might be suflicient or desirable according to thepossible requirements of any particular apparatus to which it isintended to be attached. Regardless of how large the size and drainagecapacity of the tube 1 may be,'it will when normally closed'by the plate4 serve efficiently to exclude air-and associated impurities orsuspended particles and moisture from the casing or receptacle to whichit may be attached as an emergency drainage outlet.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction anddifierent embodiments of the invention could be made without departingfrom the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in theabove description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which as amatter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is-:-

1. In a device of the character described, in combination, an outletpassage adapted to permit egress of liquid, a closure for said passage,and positive retaining means normally holding such closure in place,such retaining means comprising an element readily disrupted whenwetted.

2. In a device of the character described, in combination, an outletpassage adapted to permit egress of liquid by gravity flow, a closurefor said passage, normally held in place substantially to exclude flowof liquids or gases therethrough, positive retaining means normallyholding sucl'i closure in place, such retaining means comprising anelement the tensile strength of which is capable of being suddenlydiminished by the action of water to such a degree as to render suchelement readily disruptable, and a tensioning member connected with saidelement and exerting sufficient tension thereon materially to assistdisruption of said element whenweakened under the influence of moisture.

3. In a device of the character described, in combination, an outletpassage adapted to permit egress of liquid by gravity flow, a closurefor said passage, normally held in place substantially to exclude flowof liquids or gases therethrough, positive retaining means normallyholding such closure in place, such retaining means comprising anelement the tensile strength of which is capable of being suddenlydiminished by the action of water to such a degree as to render suchelement readily disruptable, and a spring connected with said elementand exerting sufiicient tension thereon materially to assist disruptionof said element when weakened under the influence of moisture. 4. In adevice of the character described, in

combination, an outlet passage adapted to permit egress of liquid bygravity flow, a closure for said passage, normally held in placesubstantially to exclude flow of liquids or gases therethrough, positiveretaining means normally holding such 30 closure in place, suchretaining means comprising an element the tensile strength of which iscapable of being suddenly diminished by the action of water to such adegree as to render such element readily disruptable, and a spring nor-35 mally held under tension betweensaid element and said closure.

5. In a device of the character described, in combination, an outletpassage adapted to permit egress of liquid by gravity fiow, a closurefor said passage, normally held in place substantially to exclude flowof liquids or gases therethrough, positive retaining means normallyholding such closure in place, such retaining means comprising anelement the tensile strength of which is capable of being suddenlydiminished by the action of water to such a degree as to render suchelement readily disruptable, and a spring normally held under tensionbetween said element and said closure, said closure being free to fallby gravity when released from the retaining force of said element andspring.

6. In a safety device adapted to prevent accumulation of moisture in achamber of chemical or other apparatus, in combination, a drainage 1%tube adapted for attachment to the lower portion L of the chamber, aclosure for said drainage tube, adapted to normally prevent inflow ofatmospheric air and associated moisture through said tube and meansnormally holding said closure in am position but capable of automaticrelease of said closure under the influence of moisture.

'7? In a'saiety device adapted to prevent accumulation of moisture in achamber of chemical or' other apparatus, a drainage tube adapted forattachment to the lower portion of the chamber,

a closure for said drainage tube, adapted to normally prevent inflow ofatmospheric air and associated moisture through said tube and meansnormally holding said closure in position but capable of substantiallyinstantaneous automatic release of said closure on contact with aqueousor other liquid. i

8. In apparatus adapted for irradiation of liquids, the improvementwhich comprises a chamber for the liquid under treatment and an adjacentchamber separated from the liquid chamber by frangible material andcontaining devices liable to damage by contact with the liquid 1treated, in combination with automatic means including an elementreadily disrupted when wetted to exclude'air from the last mentionedchamber during the normal operation of the apparatus and to permit freeegress of liquid therefrom.

9. In a safety device adapted to prevent accumulation of moisture in achamber of chemical or other apparatus, the improvement which comprisesin combination a drainage tube adapted for attachment to the chamber, aclosure for said drainage tube and means normally holding said closurein position but capable of automatically releasing said closure whenwetted. F

10. In an apparatus adapted for irradiation of liquids, the improvementwhich comprises a 5 chamber for the liquid undergoing treatment and anadjacent chamber separated from said liquid chamber by a frangiblematerial and containing irradiating means in combination with an outletpassage adapted to permit egress of liquid, a closure, for said passageand positive retaining,

means normally holding said closure in position, such retaining meanscomprising an element readily disrupted when wetted.

11. In a safety device adapted to prevent accu- .mulation of liquid in achamber of chemical or other apparatus, the combination comprising adrainage tube adapted for attachment to the chamber, a closure memberfor said drainage tube, a stud projecting inwardly from the wall of saidtube, a safety link composed of absorbent material readily disruptedwhen wetted, positioned upon said stud and. a spring attached to saidclosure member and said safety 12. In a safety device adapted to preventaccumulation of moisture in a chamber of chemical or other apparatus,the improvement which comprises in combination a closure and a closureretaining means including a safety link consisting of an absorbentmaterial which is readily disrupted when wetted.

13. In a safety device adapted to prevent accumulation of moisture in achamber of chemical or other apparatus, the improvement which comprisesin combination a closure and a closure retaining means including asafety link consisting of a blotting paper disk having a plurality ofattachment means.

14. In a device of the character described, in combination, anoutletpassage adapted to permit egress, a closure for said passage, andretaining means normally holding such closure in place, such retainingmeans comprising a readily disrupted element.

15. In a safety device adapted to prevent accumulation of moisture in achamber of chemical or other apparatus, the improvement which comprises,in combination, a closure member, and a means normally holding saidclosure in position but capable of automatically releasing said closurewhen wetted. 0

16. In a safety device adapted to prevent accumulation of moisture in achamber of chemical or other apparatus, the improvement which comprises, in combination, a closure, and a closure retaining meansincluding a safety link consisting 'of a readily disrupted element.

J ENS PETER. J ACOBSEN.

